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Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.

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One of my favourite books in the entire universe... It's thrilling, riveting... utterly flawless.
IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ IT AND ARE DILLY-DALLYING AND READING MY CRAP REVIEW... GO READ IT, FOR GOD'S SAKE!

Rife with beautiful imagery and metaphor, but many of the characters, including Mary, stuck me as shortsighted. The plot felt a little forced at times, particularly the romance, and the later deaths, one more than the other, felt random; they didn't have the sense of finality, perhaps due to a lack of foreshadowing. Lastly, though I wouldn't say the pacing was bad, at times in the story, days or months would pass, but the pacing didn't seem to reflect that.

It was hard to relate and care for the main character when she was so selfish - you really thought she was willing to sacrifice everthing and everyone to fullfill her desires. I also couldn't really understand their approach to dealing with the unconsecrated - why wouldn't you try to thin down their numbers instead of being trapped in buildings or in trees? (more of a "walking dead" storyline approach)

Disappointing book. A girl who can't make up her mind about what she wants. And in the last chapter the author has her fall asleep because she can't figure out how to get her to the next location and she magically awakens there. Frustrating book.

I was expecting this book to be creepy, and frightening, because....well, zombies. But I wasn't expecting it to be inward-focused. The zombies, while a world-shaping influence (and plenty of creepy), is not the focus of this book. This is a coming of age novel.

Unlike most coming-of-age novels, though, it isn't about the female protagonist finding herself (well, not directly). It's about her rejections. And it's so lyrically done that even when you're frustrated with her lack of passive acceptance, you're cheering for her constant seeking of something better.

She isn't inspired, or special, or amazing. She's just a girl who is unhappy. And curious. And tragic. And amazingly, she's compelling (to me, anyway- I never questioned the status quo enough, growing up). I like that Carrie Ryan gives her (and everyone else) no easy outs. There's no Deus Ex Machina to sweep in and save the day.

In a zombie-infested world, where you have to find your own truths, life is hard. And once I cracked the spine of this one, I stayed up all night and finished it in one sitting. It was THAT intense. And then, of course, I couldn't sleep because everything sounded like zombies shambling toward me inside the house.

I highly recommend this one for lovers of zombies, fiction (especially that which borders on post-apocalypse or fantasy-setting), strong female protagonists who are unexpected, suspense, and non-traditional YA.

This is my absolute favorite book. The entirety of the series after it gets more and more enthralling, unlike many popular books, whose sequels end in disappointment. I'd recommend it to anyone who can stomach the zombie parts, but the zombies aren't the darkest part of this book. 10/10 Have read many times. Struggle for humanity and holding it together at it's finest.

Quotes

When I return my hands are red and raw from gathering the snow. I slowly approach the bed. The patient is calm now, and when he hears my shoes against the wooden floor he turns and I see who it is.
"Travis," I gasp. My voice feels raw in my throat and I look around quickly to make sure that Sister Tabitha has not heard me speak. I have no doubt that she would send me into the Forest if she felt the need.
"Mary," he wishers. "Oh, Mary." He reaches out and grabs my hand and brings it toward his cheek such that I am pulled forward and I end up stumbling and falling onto my knees next to the bed.

Summary

Mary lives in a a village surrounded by the unconsecrated and they supposedly are the last people in the whole world. The village is run by the sisterhood who have secrets that marry discovers. Mary's long time love bails on her and she is forced to marry his brother until.....